Influencer marketing—as we know it today—is a very recent trend on the long timeline of marketing. Of course, celebrities and athletes have been endorsing products and brands to consumers since Babe Ruth in the 1930’s, but influencer marketing takes the same concept and makes it more accessible to the individual entrepreneur, artist, or creative.
For an author, influencer marketing means getting a popular figure to endorse or promote your product. This is almost always a paid exchange, but it is also a tremendously valuable one.
For example, a 7-year-old author recently became a bestseller after an endorsement from Mariel Hemingway through MindStir Media.
Let’s look at three types of influencers who could be useful for endorsing your book.
Content Creators
Content creators are people who produce social media or web content for their followers. This can be anybody with a web presence, but for the sake of book endorsements, the best content creators would be book bloggers, reviews, podcasters, and YouTube personalities.
These people are not as famous or well known as other people on this list, but that means an endorsement from them can be more budget-friendly.
If you’re trying to snag an influencer deal with a content creator, research people who create content about your genre of book, find people who you enjoy reading/watching, and then reach out to them to discuss rates.
Remember: the easier you can make the endorsement on them, the more likely they are to say yes. And if you can sweeten the pot by offering them a pre-release copy of the book or an exclusive interview, they’ll be even more interested.
Celebrities
Most people can’t call up Michael Jordan and ask him for an endorsement. The same goes for most celebrities, from actors to athletes, television stars, and other public figures.
But celebrity endorsements can be life-changing if you can land one. To do so, you’ll have to leverage your network of connections. Think strategically and be prepared to reach out to people who know the celebrity in question.
One such opportunity is an influencer marketing package from MindStir Media that includes an endorsement from Mariel Hemingway, an Oscar-nominated actress with over 60 film and TV acting credits as well as a bestselling author of 6 books and the granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway.
Much like it did for MindStir Media’s 7-year-old author, this package could make you a best-selling author, too!
Professionals
Depending on your genre of book, another powerful influencer is the professional. Most often than not, this applies to business books. If you earn a celebrity endorsement from an accomplished businessperson, this immediately establishes credibility for your work and shares it with a large audience.
Recently, MindStir Media author Gary Laney hit #1 on the Amazon Best Seller charts after receiving an endorsement from Kevin Harrington of Shark Tank. Having an influencer like Harrington behind a book immediately sets it apart from the rest, and MindStir Media can also help connect you with Kevin Harrington for an endorsement of your own.
Ready to become a #1 Amazon Best Seller?
For many writers, seeing that little orange #1 best seller banner next to their book title only sounds like a pipe dream. The reality, however, is much more likely than you’d think.
If you’re ready to leverage the power of influencer marketing to get the most out of your book, find influencers you enjoy and begin exploring possibilities. And don’t forget, you can always explore your opportunities with MindStir Media, too!
If you have questions, thoughts, or ideas, I’d love to hear them on Twitter at @authorjjhebert.